tabs

1.21.2010

"Size"

Finally got around to picking up the new issue of V.

First, I was impressed that they put Gabourey Sidibe on the cover. (Yes, they did split the covers with Dakota Fanning, but it's not like they sent subscribers Gabourey and left Dakota for the newsstand. They are both readily available.) Anyways, I think that's a little bit more groundbreaking than all the press they got for putting Crystal Renn in all the editorials. It would be much more powerful if they had just put Gabourey on the cover for a regular/non-themed issue, because that way they would be showing they don't need an excuse to welcome diversity.BUT, the photograph inside is amazing.

I wanna be into these guys, I really do. But um... there is no fashion here? There is no point in putting fatter girls in the magazine if you're gonna dress them in Bongo jeans and make them look like the girls I see everywhere on my commute. Otherwise the point of "high fashion is only for skinny women" kinda stays therefore defeating the purpose of this whole issue in the first place.

Not that the usual models were wearing clothes at ALL times either, Iris Strubegger took it all off in Barcelona for a broodingly sexy editorial. Even though this is not Paris, the setting in the picture reminds me of THAT Le Smoking photograph by Helmut Newton.

We finally see some "big" girls wearing some real fashion, but then for some reason they gotta share the spotlight with the usual girls. Listen, I get the idea, and it's a really cute one for sure, but I do think that in the end, given what the other editorials look like, it becomes a bit of a cop out. I would rather see 10 awesome outfits on whatever girl, than 5 on 2 girls that are posed the same way. Maybe if they had posed together it would've been nicer? The bottomline is this isn't as cool as it could've been, even with the same idea.

Natasha Poly is supposed to be channeling Courtney Love in this story, and although I didn't really see the Courtney influence, the whole thing is absolutely KILLER. The amounts of Meow Miu involved makes my heart cry. Also Poly is awesome.

We end with a posi-vibe quasi-Calvin Klein 90's editorial that is really great.

V's my favorite magazine, so all this comes from a good place, but I just think if the industry is going to make such a big deal about diversity they should just BE diverse, instead of making up all these special times when diversity is ALLOWED and CELEBRATED!

15 comments:

The fact is, skinny girls sell clothes. We all say that models shouldn't be as thin (and they really shouldn't) but I don't ever think the time will come soon where girls with curves are rocking the runways and the ads of our fashion houses. Designers want clothes on skinny women, at least the big ones, and so do editors.

The thing I really, really don't get is the diversity stuff. That pisses me off. I am sick and tired of seeing white girl after white girl after white girl on the runway. Stam and Donaldson and Poly and Stone all blend together in a sea of pale girls with long blonde hair after so many shows. Why not more Black models? Or Chinese? Or Korean? Or Native American? Or anything.....?

On another note, Natasha looks ridiculously awesome and i liked that you said Meow Miu because that was just tue cute

i totes agree with you on the "size" issue, hazel, but you know, if everyones gonna go out and make a BIGDEAL about it then i think you should just follow through.

im TOTES with you on the diversity.in the last 6 years when all the blonde lookalike models came out i was so unhappy. who cares? i love the weird ones, give me iris and guinevere and LAKSHMI and TAO and ARLENIS anytime. ANY ANYTIME.

I think you make an excellent point and I agree. Yet, I think that, in dismissing models who are too skinny (and I agree, they are) but celebrating those who are 'large', aren't we being extremely hypocritical? The bottom line is, one should not strive to be 'skinny' or 'fat'. The goal should always be to be healthy. I don't understand why everything as to be about extremes, about forcing that down peoples' throats. Healthy means, for your respective height/age, etc.. that you are within a certain range of weights. Generally, that means someone is slender. That doesn't mean they can't be curvy or have any type of body type, but the bottom line is, neither deathly skinny or fat is good and to say one is okay and that other isn't is just wrong.

Been reading your blog for quite a while now, but I HAD to comment on this. I totally agree with you, because it was always my point of view : if different sizes or diversity are so acceptable, why not put them in ANY issue ? Diversity makes fashion so much richer !

This issue has kind of annoyed me. It's like 'size doesn't matter' blah blah blah and then sticks the curvy girls in mundane outfits and the skinnies in the crazy cool stuff. Even if I do love the 'Courtney Love inspired' bit too much anyway.

Laia, your analysis of this issue was so intelligent and mature! Your comments are right on the real problem. I agree with you, if you want to be diverse, just book the girls regularly. I ABHORE the "Body Issues" and the "Age Issues". I think they just do them out of self-righteusness.